Congress summons Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang over alleged Chinese spy connection

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been called before the US Congress to answer questions about his ties to a woman facing allegations of spying for China.

Three Republican House committee chairs sent Huang a letter Thursday (local time), asking him to attend a closed joint briefing, according to Axios. The signatories were Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar and Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford.

The letter asked Huang to explain how Nvidia guards against attempts by China and other foreign adversaries to steal its technology and sensitive information, and to clarify what relationship the company has had with Alice Huang, who faces allegations of spying for China.

The chairs cited recent media reports raising national security concerns about the possible leakage of sensitive US technology to China. "Chinese penetration and access to advanced American technology is a core investigative matter for all three committees this session," they wrote, adding that the extent of any national security exposure must be thoroughly assessed.

Alice Huang, at the center of the controversy, is a senior executive at Megaspeed, a data center company headquartered in Singapore.

The New York Times earlier reported that Alice Huang is suspected of cultivating a close relationship with Jensen Huang and leaking information to China. The Times also reported that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the matter by intelligence officials but took no action.

Alice Huang was photographed sitting next to Jensen Huang at a bar in Taiwan in June 2024, drinking with executives from other AI companies, and was again seen accompanying him in May last year. Alice Huang also posted photos with Jensen Huang on social media to publicize their acquaintance, and there are allegations that she used those connections to attract investment.

The Wall Street Journal reported that officials from at least three countries have expressed concern about the possibility that Alice Huang leaked information about Nvidia chips.

Nvidia denied all the allegations, saying Jensen Huang's meetings with Alice Huang were routine business interactions and that no national security-related information was disclosed.